Researchers cast a little light on the subject of sleep
“We now know that just having light in the room can be therapeutically effective,” says Lockley. “It doesn’t need to be in your face.” A recent study from the Netherlands illustrates Lockley’s point. Researchers there showed that placing brighter lights in the common areas of care facilities for dementia patients slows the rate of patients’ cognitive decline, reduces depression, and delays the onset of functional limitations. With support from NASA and NSBRI, Lockley and others are testing the effectiveness of prototype light fixtures that use blue-enriched white light to alert the body when needed and blue-depleted light to increase sleepiness before slumber.